The present invention relates generally to the field of software management, and more particularly to evaluating software and implementing policy on a computing device that utilizes a software management service.
A software management system, or a package management system, is a collection of software tools that automate the process of installing, upgrading, configuring, and removing software packages that are installed on a computer in a consistent manner. A software management system typically maintains a database of software dependencies and version information to prevent software mismatches and missing prerequisites.
Packages are distributions of software, applications, and data. Packages also contain metadata, such as the software's name, description of the software's purpose, version number, vendor, checksum, and a list of dependencies necessary for software to run properly. Upon installation of a package, the corresponding metadata is stored in a local package database. Packages are often downloaded from a software repository, which is a storage location from which the package may be retrieved and installed on a computer.